Liner for sanitary closets



March 16, 1954 Filed NOV. 15, 1952 F IG. 5.

v R. w. POTTS LINER FOR SANITARY CLOSETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNE YPatented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LINER FOR SANITARYGLOSETS Robert W. Potts, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application November 15, 1952, Serial No. 320,643

5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to dry sanitary closets for use in aircraft,trains and other moving vehicles. Additionally, the invention may beadvantageously used in camps, house trailers and the like where water orchemical supplies are not convenient or are not readily available.

An object of the invention is to provide a means for sacking and sealingwaste material in dry sanitary closets.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a lightweight drycloset for aircraft, and one which requires very little space for itsinstallation and operation.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a dry sanitarycloset which will eliminate obnoxious odors, and at the same timeprovide a convenient and sanitary means for dis posing of wastematerials.

An additional object of the invention is to provide, in a dry closet ofthe class described, a simple operation for effectively sealing anddisposing the waste material, and at the same time preparing the bowl ofthe closet for the next user.

These and other objects will become apparent from the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings of an exemplary form of theinvention, wherein:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a dry closet embodying thefeatures of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the lower housing showing the film sealingjaws in their closed position.

Figure 3 is a broken vertical sectional view showing the film movingjaws in a lower position as the same draws the film containing the wastematerial downwardly for subsequent disposal.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing a position of thefilm moving jaws during their upward movement.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the film opera-ting mechanism,including the last referred to jaws.

Figure 6 is a broken elevation and sectional 7 view showing theinstallation of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 5.

The exemplary form of the invention shown includes a tubular upperhousing It] mounted on a floor Ii and a toilet seat [2 mounted on itsupper end. The lower end of the housing it includes an outwardlydirected flange l 3 which may be detachably secured to the floor ll;however, in some installations it may be desirable to permanently securethe referred to flange.

2 The upper end of the housing In is inwardly flanged as at M forsupporting the seat l2.

Within the upper housing In there is a tubular inner wall 15, spacedfrom the inner surface of said housing, and which wall supports a bowll6 of formed sheet material. The bowl l6, converges at its lower end toprovide a relatively small opening ll, whereas its upper end isoutwardly formed into a rolled flange I8. Within the annular space l9between the upper housing It and the inner wall I5 there is a tubularfilm 20 of plastic material, such as cellulose, vinyl, acetate or thelike. Treated waterproof paper may be used, but preferably the sameshould include some adhesive substance for sealing purposes hereinafterreferred to. As shown in Figlife 1 a considerable length of the filmtubing '20 may be received within the annulus l9 by reversing thematerial on itself in the manner of accordion pleats. The upper end ofthe tubular film 2c is positioned around and over the rolled flange itof the bowl l6, lining the latter, and thence extending downwardlythrough the bowl opening I1. An opening 2| is provided in the floor Itfor receiving and supporting a lower housing 22, the upper end of whichisoutwardly flanged as at 23 for engaging the floor surface. The lowerend of the lower housing is open, as at 25, and extends into the upperend of a receptacle 26. If preferred, an incinerator may be employedinstead of the receptacle 26, and reference is made to my copendingapplication Serial Number 314,468, filed October 13, 1952, illustratingand describing an incinerator of the type referred to.

A film moving mechanism 21, illustrated in detail in Figures 5 and 6, ismounted within the lower housing 22 by means of brackets 28, the upperend of which mechanism is near the lower end of the bowl IS. Themechanism 21 includes a vertical arcuate member 29 having a verticalslot 30 therethrough, best illustrated in Figures 3 and 6, extendingnearly its complete length. Parallel with the vertical arcuate member 29there is a guide rod 3| mounted at its lower end on a laterallyextending arm 32 of a depending bracket 33, the latter being providedwith a foot 34 for attachment to the lower surface of the floor H. Atubular member 35 is slidably mounted on the guide rod 3i and extendsupwardly through a collar 36 in a box-like extension 37 on the side ofthe upper housing [0. The upper end of the tubular member 35 is providedwith a handle 38, whereas the lower end of the member is provided with alaterally extending arm 39 which is slidably received within and throughthe vertical slot 30 in the vertical arcuate member 29 of the filmmoving mechanism.

The upper and lower ends of the vertical arcuate member are providedwith a horizontal plates 40 and 4| for supporting a vertical rod 42 onwhich vertically slidable film moving jaws 43 are mounted. The inner endof the arm 39 secured to the vertically movable tubular member 35, isprovided with a yoke 44 having openings (not shown) therethrough forreceiving the last described rod 42. The inner ends of the jaws 43 arereceived within the yoke 44, and which inner ends include angularlyextending followers 45 for engaging grooves 46 in the inner surface ofthe vertical arcuate member 29 and on opposite sides of the verticalslot 30. The jaws 43 are spring loaded (not shown) to normally move thesame away from each other. However, the upper ends of the grooves 46 areshaped so as to close the jaws 43 when the same reach the upper end ofthe latter and to spread apart when they reach their lowermost position.During their downward movement the followers 45 are engaged in thevertical slot 30. The last described operation is carried out by meansof dogs 41 pivotally mounted in the upper ends of the grooves 46 wherethe same join the slot 30. The dogs 41 are spring loaded to normallyclose the upper ends of the grooves 45. The lower ends of the grooves 46converge, as at 48, and whereby the spring loaded jaws 43 will cause thefollowers to expand when the latter reach the lower end of the slot 30,thus releasing the film 20 drawn downwardly by the jaws 43.

Sealing jaws are mounted on the upper flange of the lower housing 22 bymeans of pairs of pivoted arms 50, mounted on rods which in turn aresupported at their ends by means of bearings 52. The opposing surfacesof the sealing jaws 49 are provided with interfitting longitudinalgrooves 53, and which jaws may be electrically heated as shown by meansof wiring connections 54. Ears 55 are provided on the arms 50 adjacentthe film moving mechanism 21 for pivotally engaging the upper ends ofrods 56, the lower ends of which are angular and pivotally connectedwith each other, as at 51, near the converging portions 48 of thedescribed grooves 46. Thus, when the film moving jaws 43 move downwardlythey contact the joined ends of the last described rods 56, therebycausing the sealing jaws 49 to move inwardly, as shown by means ofdotted lines in Figure 1, and close and seal the film 20.

In operation, the film is arranged as shown in Figure 1 and the handle38 is initially operated to seal an area of the film on itself by meansof the sealing jaws 49. After waste material has been deposited in thefilm 20 lining the bowl IS, the handle 38 is pushed downwardly causingthe film moving jaws 43 to engage the film and draw the same downwardly,and at which time the waste material is secured within a bag 59 therebyformed of said film. When the film moving jaws 43 contact the joinedportion of the rods 50 the sealing jaws are brought together for sealingthe upper end of the bag thus formed. The length of material 20enclosing the bags 59 are progressively received within the receptacle26 or the incinerator, as the case may be.

It is to be understood that the invention herein shown and described mayadditionally be used for other purposes, such as for disposal of garbageand for other purposes. The invention is not limited to the constructionherein shown and described, but may be made in many ways within thescope of the appended claims. As set forth in the appended claims, theinvention is directed to the liner 20 and its arrangement around, overand through the bowl, since various film moving means may be providedother than the specific film moving construction herein shown anddescribed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sanitary closet, a bowl having an open ing through the bottomthereof, a supply of tubular film around said bowl and extendingupwardly over the periphery thereof and down: wardly through saidopening, and means drawing said film downwardly through said bowl.

2. In a sanitary closet as defined in claim 1, the construction whereinsaid means drawing said film downwardly through said bowl is comprisedof a pair of vertically movable jaws adapted to engage the film nearsaid opening and to release said film when said jaws are remote fromsaid opening.

3. In a sanitary closet as defined in claim 1, the combination of a pairof sealing jaws mounted beneath said bowl and on opposite sides of saidfilm, and means moving said sealing jaws inwardly and outwardly relativeto each other.

4. In a sanitary closet as defined in claim 1, the construction whereinthe length of said tubular film around said bowl is vertically arrangedin the manner of accordion pleats.

5. A sanitary closet comprising a housing, a bowl having an opening inthe bottom thereof mounted within said housing and spaced from the innerwall thereof, a supply of tubular film within said housing and aroundsaid bowl, said film extending upwardly over the periphery of said bowland downwardly through said opening, and means drawing said filmdownwardly through said bowl.

ROBERT W. POTTS.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 479,897 Murphy Aug. 2, 1892 1,986,422 Zwoyer Jan. 1,1935 2,041,187 Janda May 19, 1936 2,113,636 Vogt Apr. 12, 1938 2,192,335Stevens Mar. 5, 1940 2,205,405 Harm June 25, 1940

